What makes a monster?
by CheeseThingy
Summary: "I wish to use my powers for good," I whispered, "I refuse to be used as a weapon of war..." I'd traveled back into Nazi Germany, out of time and place. My presence here offered them a chance to change history...
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

I don't remember much of what happened that day; that day that everything in my life disappeared into a warped tunnel of light; where my entire body changed its appearance and the world in which I had grown up in and loved was no longer beneath my feet. I suppose, all I can really explain is when I first woke up after it all happened; what it felt like and how I was feeling...

When I recall the events of that day, I can remember certain things sometimes more clearly than others. My first memory was when I had woken up; my chest was in immense pain, like it had turned to cement, and I couldn't for the life of me force a breath. What frightened me most was that, despite my overwhelming sense of panic, I could not hear the telltale rushing of blood through my body from rapid beatings of my heart because, quite simply, my heart was not beating. Confused and afraid, my hand rushed up to my aching chest and I sat up wide eyed. I should have been cold, at least shivering for warmth, because I was surrounded by nothing but forest and snow...but I felt nothing. At that stage I had no idea my hair had turned from dark locks of black to a sickly white. Nor did I know that I looked as sick as I felt...how could I have known? There were no mirrors to see; just blurred visions of what had happened before I had woken up.

Back then, I could recall my friends' deaths clearly but, time and emotional trauma has left that memory distorted and all I can now remember is flashes of an event that still gives me guilt and pain. We ventured into a place we shouldn't have, not that I can even remember what the place was anymore but, I do remember halogen lights on some sort of rocky ceiling, like it was a cave. Maybe there was a door...I don't quite remember...I remember clearly a strange book bound in human skin; which may horrify most of you to know, I still carry today. But I won't delve into that topic as of yet.

In the centre of a strangely marked floor in a rather grand room filled with flashing technology was a crystal resting in some earthly made podium thing...anyway, things start to get vague from here...but, someone, one of my friends and I am not entirely sure who, plucked the book from its glass casing and flicked it open. Something was read and somehow, I ended up with the book. The marks on the floor illuminated beneath the feet of my five friends and...one by one they began to scream as if their very souls were being sucked from them; which I would learn later is actually what happened. In a bid to stop this, I ripped the crystal from its podium and then my world spiraled into black and I woke up elsewhere.

You'd think that was the end of my story, right? Wrong. Somehow, the crystal had embedded itself into my body and attached to me like a parasite. It had turned me into something that was no longer human; something that was both alive and yet, dead.

It took many months in that other realm to realise that this crystal was all that was keeping me alive. It was this crystal that turned me into what the 'Highborne'** there called 'Necromancer' but, that was before they realised I could use ice magic as well. Now I am referred to as a 'Lych'*. Whatever I am or whatever I have become, doesn't matter to me. All I want is a cure. A way to remove this crystal without dying...or at least, a way to use my powers for good.

** _'Highborne' are also known as 'high elves' depending on the realm._

* _The term 'Lych' has been around for centuries and can be spelled differently. It is the name given to an undead Necromancer._


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Chaos.

Everything was in utter chaos.

All around me people were scattered in terror and confusion, bumping past me in their efforts to flee and, I didn't blame them for their fear. After all, I felt that I understood the multitude of emotions everyone must have been going through; several beings had just appeared out of nowhere and I was one of them, though, by the time I had appeared everything was already in shambles. So, I was fortunate that I had been unnoticed.

Honestly, this wasn't supposed to happen...

I'd spent months and months travelling between realms in an effort to return to my own. It's just that, the Highborne had also been travelling between realms. They had been searching for me so that they could obliterate me and purge every realm of the supposed threat I posed... There had been several instances where I had successfully escaped their intentions, however, in this particular case, they had managed to destroy the ship I'd been travelling in, which sent all its passengers and crew into the darkened abyss, where I can only assume, to appear in unknown times and places.

Forcing my way between people I felt the only necessary course of action would be to slip away unnoticed under the protection of the panicked crowds. My want to disappear quietly was all that could keep my attention as I hardly noticed my surroundings.

' _You might want to lose yourself amongst the crowd.'_

Within the folds of my long black cloak, hidden from view, was my grimoire. This was no ordinary book. He was bound in human skin and could somehow communicate with me through some kind of telepathic connection. Regardless of how grotesque and horrid he may be, Grim was my only friend...well, not quite, I also had an unusual blade named Rose but, she was no conversationalist.

Darting between two women, I heard a multitude of gunshots ring out over the cries of terror from the fleeing crowds of people which only fed my need to get the hell out of there. Without looking to see who had started shooting, I noticed how the crowd of people were thinning; they had been running in the opposite direction to me...perhaps, I should have questioned this before choosing to run this way...

Yes, I _should_ have.

Hovering above the street, his long white hair rippling in an unfelt breeze was a Highborne elf; the mana in his eyes created long wispy trails. Cursing loudly, I had turned about to run and cursed again. Fighting their way between people were five men who looked severely out of time and place but, men who were well-known for their symbolic black suites and dark glasses. The sight of them was completely new to me; I'd no idea I was so infamous amongst the realms.

"Looks like I've got several fan clubs," I offered this half-hearted joke to Grim and received nothing but a snort in response. Joking could not hide the horrible realisation that I had been caught between two enemies; one that wanted me dead and an unknown fate by the others.

The situation appeared hopeless; people were screaming all around me, guns were being fired and death danced merrily in the pandemonium. The crystal in my chest pulsated horribly with a desire to collect the souls of the recently killed. Doubling over in pain, I clawed at the crystal in my chest. Unfortunately this position left me vulnerable to those last few humans running and I was knocked onto the road, face down.

This would have been okay had I not immediately been run over by a speeding six wheeled vehicle. How did I know it had six wheels? Because I counted.

' _Ouch,'_ Grim stated with obvious sarcasm. As the last wheel had left my immobilised form, I felt my spine break in several places with fantastic sounding cracks muffled by flesh. My body braced itself for what was next to come.

The crystal had already been causing me pain since this debacle happened but, the pain that now ripped through my body caused me to contort violently; each broken bone and ruptured organ snapping and knitting itself back to new. The screams that spewed from my lips drowned out the sounds of panic around me; I could not hide the agony that was coursing through my limbs like fire.

I'd no doubt that at this stage, I'd probably attracted the attention of both the Highborne and the men dressed in black. It came as a surprise, however, when I was scooped off the road by an unknown male in a uniform that looked vaguely familiar. My eyes rolled as I attempted to focus on the unknown human.

"I've got her!" my crystal gave another painful twinge as it translated his speech.

It was at this exact moment that I actually took the opportunity to try and ascertain where it was I had appeared, but, my questions were answered when I recognised the Nazi armband on those approaching us. Gasping in both terror and surprise, my crystal gave one last painful twitch before a darkness crept into my vision and all senses became lost to me as I submitted to unconsciousness.


End file.
